


California Friends

by spideyfool



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28617408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideyfool/pseuds/spideyfool
Summary: A series of drabbles from tumblr for my favorite Arcadia rarepairs.
Relationships: Claire Nuñez/Aja Tarron, Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan/Krel Tarron, Jim Lake Jr./Aja Tarron, Jim Lake Jr./Krel Tarron, Toby Domzalski/Claire Nuñez, Toby Domzalski/Krel Tarron
Comments: 11
Kudos: 21





	1. Nap Time (Krel/Toby)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepy/Cozy prompt #7 - “I’ve been living off of coffee for two days I deserve to sleep!”

Toby invited him over to study, which on any other day really meant playing video games and cuddling. Unfortunately, the semester was coming to an end, and Toby was legitimately concerned about his grades. They couldn’t study in his room, since that’s where most of their distractions were, so they sat in the living room with their textbooks. 

Krel would have been more enthusiastic about helping his boyfriend with school if he wasn’t extremely tired. An hour in and Krel was laying on the floor, four cyan arms sprawled out. He used a paperback textbook as a makeshift pillow. 

Toby nudged him. “Krel, get up.”

Krel shut his eyes tightly. “I’ve been living off of coffee for two days, I deserve to sleep!”

“But not on the _floor,_ ” Toby insisted, “You can sleep in my bedroom.”

He grabbed two of Krel’s arms and pulled, but Krel pulled back and turned his back to Toby. 

Toby narrowed his eyes. “AAARRRGGHH!” he yelled out. 

Krel flopped back on the floor to face him. “ _Nooo,_ ” he whined. 

He heard large footsteps coming down the stairs and braced himself. Soon enough AAARRRGGHH had hoisted him up over his shoulder. Krel groaned low in his throat, but didn’t resist. He went limp in AAARRRGGHH’s arms in exhaustion. They passed by a smiling Nana as they headed upstairs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm goin to try to post my tumblr drabbles here for better organization. So, here we go :blushingemoji:


	2. Missing You (Toby/Claire)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleepy/cozy prompts #14 - “I miss your arms around me as I slept, I know it’s embarrassing but you made me feel safe.”

The two of them were about three hours apart. The sun was just going down when Toby called her. Wherever she was at, it was dark. The light of her phone illuminated her face. They talked for about an hour before Claire yawned and laid down on her sleeping bag. It reminded him of life before the Eternal Night, tangled up with each other after long days at school and long nights trollhunting.

He leaned against his headboard. 

“I...I miss your arms around me as I sleep,” he started, voice low, “I know it’s embarrassing, but you made me feel safe.” 

Her lip quivered. “I’m sorry,” she lamented, “I wish I still had the staff. I should have-”

He interrupted her; he didn’t intend to make her upset. “You did what you had to do, Claire. I mean, you saved the world! Don’t worry about it,” he reassured. 

" _We_ saved the world,” she corrected. He could still see the sadness in her eyes, but she forced a smile. 

That sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Those three words made his heart race. “I love you, too.” 


	3. You Make It Better (Claire/Aja)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January prompt #23 - priorities.

Things had been quiet in Arcadia since Morando’s defeat. Everyone was able to enjoy the rest of their summer and go into the next school year without any stress of ancient sorcerers or demigod aliens. 

And yet, Claire still couldn’t sleep well. She tried, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Morgana. She wasn’t any less ambitious, though - she put all of her energy into her school work and preparing for the next Arcadia Oaks theatre production. She sat at her desk flipping through the script as Aja laid across her bed, scrolling through her phone. 

Aja exhaled and leaned against her propped up shoulder. “You should rest.”

Claire yawned, “I’m okay.”

“You _need_ to rest,” she insisted. 

“I _need_ to memorize my lines,” Claire challenged. She didn’t want to admit that tears welled up in her eyes as she yawned, the words on the paper below blurring. 

Aja groaned and hopped out of the bed. “Claire.” She said, gripping the back of the desk chair and leaning in. 

“Aja.” She retorted. 

The blonde grabbed both of her hands gently and pulled her out of the chair, “Come on.”

Claire sighed. She pulled away and attempted to rub the exhaustion from her eyes. “You are so stubborn.”

“So are you!” She laughed. 

“Okay, okay,” she caved as Aja pulled her towards the bed, “but only for, like, 15 minutes.” 

“Yes, 15 minutes,” she agreed, dragging her onto the mattress. 

Claire flopped down onto the bed and snuggled into her girlfriend. She buried her face in her hair and breathed in slowly. “Promise?”

Aja wrapped her arms around Claire to bring her closer. “Promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an AU I came up with on the spot with Claire never leaving for Jersey and Aja never leaving Earth. I don't intend on going any deeper with that though lol


	4. Aftermath (Krel/Douxie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hug prompt #15 - Tackle

As Krel regained consciousness, his senses slowly came back to him. He felt the wet grass underneath him and heard someone calling out his name. When his eyes finally fluttered open, he saw Douxie hovering over him.

He exhaled and sat up weakly, but nearly fell back down when Douxie lunged at him with a hug. He squeezed him tight and shoved his face into the crook of Krel’s neck, raven hair tickling his skin. 

“You scared me!” He cried into his shoulder. 

Krel instinctively wrapped his four arms around him. His eyes darted around, surveying their surroundings. He noted the charred trees and the frost that sat gently on the ground; it took a moment for him to remember the events of the former battle. 

“Did we win?” He asked, melting into his boyfriend’s touch. 

He leaned back to grin at Krel. “Yeah, we won.”

He laughed breathlessly, “How did that happen?” 

Douxie chuckled. He lifted his Krel’s chin up and planted kisses all over his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, one possible scenario for the final battle in ROTT.


	5. Reunion (Aja/Jim)

Jim hadn’t seen her in a year. They kept in touch as best they could, texting and video chatting frequently, but he still got lonely. So when Aja sent him coordinates one evening, he hopped onto his Vespa and rode to the hill overlooking the city.

He did not have to wait long before a wormhole appeared - Aja sprinted out of the blue portal and tackled Jim with a hug. They both fell to the ground with a soft thump. 

She enveloped him with her four arms. “Jim!” 

“Aja,” he breathed out, crushed under her weight but too in love to do anything but hug her in return. 

“Sorry,” she apologized, sitting up and lifting him up with her, “I missed you so much.” 

He grabbed two of her hands and squeezed tightly. “I missed you, too.” 

She took a moment to look him up and down. She laughed, cupping his face with two hands, “I can’t believe you’re so squishy!” 

That’s when he realized that he was a fairly large troll the last time kissed. “That’s good, right?” He asked. 

Aja leaned in and answered his question with a kiss. She smiled sheepishly when she pulled away, pressing her forehead to his. 

“If it’s good with you, it’s good with me,” she assured.


	6. Little Wonders (Jim/Krel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January prompt #22 - snow globe

Krel didn’t typically go shopping unless it was with Jim. He wasn’t the best at taking care of himself, so Jim had to help him sometimes. It was nice, though - he enjoyed doing little things like that with him. 

As they waltzed through the store, they passed a shelf full of holiday decorations. Krel paused when he noticed something round and shiny. He grabbed it without a second thought. 

“What’s this?” he questioned, examining the object in his hand. 

Jim stopped walking and turned to look. He raised a brow, “That’s a snow globe.”

“What does it do?”

“It’s just for decoration,” Jim replied.

Krel traced a finger around the sphere. He saw what looked like a house behind the thick glass. When he moved it in his hands, white dots floated around inside.

“It’s pretty, right?” Jim asked, noticing his boyfriend’s infatuation. 

Krel narrowed his eyes and brought the globe closer to his face. “How do you trap the snow in there?”

“It’s fake,” he explained. 

Krel scoffed, “Why would you want to look at fake snow?”

Jim laughed. “Because it’s pretty,” he reiterated. 

He gently placed the snow globe back onto the shelf. “Yeah, I guess so.”

* * *

Jim lounged on Krel’s couch, scrolling through his phone. He had insisted he be left alone in his lab, and Jim respected that. 

But it wasn’t long until Krel came rushing out. 

“Jim, look!” he beamed, running into the couch and falling onto it with a soft thump. He held something out for Jim to look at. 

He recognized it as a snow globe, but different to any he’d seen before. The glass looked more reminiscent of a screen as it illuminated cyan. Still, white particles sparkled inside when Krel shook it. 

“A snow globe?” he asked, leaning in closer to Krel. 

He nodded. “I made it,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. 

“For me?” he hesitantly took the globe from Krel. 

“Well, I just wanted to see if I could do it,” he babbled, “But I’m not going to use it, soo…”

Jim hummed, feigning contemplation. “I don’t know. I think it could liven up the place a little.”

“Ricky and Lucy would take offense to that,” Krel remarked, though he continued to smile through his words. 

Jim shook the globe again, watching the snow swirl around inside. “It’s great. You’re amazing.” He placed a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.

Krel’s face flushed blue as he sunk into the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Partially connected to [Bitter Water](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451664), and funnily enough the longest addition to this fic 😳


	7. Jurassic (Krel/Douxie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> January prompt #27 - movie night

Douxie had somehow convinced his roommates to participate in a weekly movie night. Nari was actually interested in watching movies, while Archie agreed if only for the opportunity to cuddle. Krel was somewhere in the middle. Douxie normally picked the movie, anyway - he was more knowledgeable about pop culture then any of the nonhumans in the household. 

Tonight, he’d put on some older movie about dinosaurs. Krel snuggled up to him as Archie nestled into his lap, closing his eyes in contentment. 

Krel watched the television screen intently, though he was surprised how long it took for the creatures to actually appear. But once they did, he had questions. 

“Did dinosaurs actually look like that?” He wondered aloud, leaning his head against Douxie. 

Nari laughed from the other side of the couch, “No.”

Krel pulled away from his boyfriend, gasping. “Then what’s the point of this movie?”

“Entertainment?” he shrugged. “That’s kind of the point of ‘move night’”.

Krel huffed, “It’s misleading.” 

Douxie laughed, wrapping an arm around Krel. “You wanna watch Planet Earth instead?”

He hummed in thought. “Yes.” 

“Yay!” Nari cheered, clapping her hands together. Archie sighed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back at it again with the new york gang!! read more with them in [tea time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27505543). hopefully i can actually write their Origin Story soon


	8. De Una Vez (Claira/Aja)

As humans, Claire and Aja had become incredibly close.

Claire had yet to be so intimate with Aja as an Akiridion, though. It was the first time Aja laid in her bed as her true self. The sunset shined through her bedroom window onto the cyan girl in front of her. 

Claire experimentally brushed a strand of blue hair out of Aja’s face. It did not feel much different than her blonde hair. She scooted herself closer as Aja wrapped two arms around her - but she recoiled at the touch. 

Aja flinched. “Is something wrong?” she asked, guilt and worry lacing her voice. 

“No, no,” Claire assured, “You’re just kind of cold?” 

Her eyes flickered down. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be!” she lifted one of Aja’s hands and brought it to her face. It was to comfort her, at first, but Claire soon melted into the palm of her hand. “It’s...nice.” 

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Really?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s kind of warm, anyway.” 

Aja brushed her thumb against her cheek and smiled.


	9. Rest Your Bones With Me (Krel/Douxie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the tumblr prompts "protecting" and "you look really peaceful when you're asleep". Takes place sometime before ROTT and in my typical AU where Krel and Douxie live together in NY.

Neither of them felt comfortable sleeping at the same time. 

Krel was still recovering from their last run in with the Order, and they were both paranoid - even with Archie nestled between them in bed and Nari insisting that she would protect the both of them (they all knew that wasn’t possible, anyway). 

So they started taking shifts. When the night came, Douxie tended to Krel’s wounds before they crawled into bed together. Douxie occupied himself with various tasks as his boyfriend slept: reading books, watching television with Nari, walking around the room if he felt he needed to stretch his legs.

For the most part, though, he just watched Krel. 

He slept in his Akiridion form, knees tucked under his arms as he curled in on himself. Douxie remembered a time when Krel’s limbs sprawled across the bed; open and unafraid. Some things didn’t change, though. His head still peaked out from under the covers, and his mouth still fell open when he was extra tired. His blue glow was still as soft as ever. Sometimes his brows furrowed, but after a few moments, they would relax. Douxie wondered if he was dreaming. 

And when the morning approached, Douxie was still there to hold him. Krel finally stretched out his arms and yawned. Douxie brought a palm to Krel’s face, brushing a thumb across his cheek. 

“You look really peaceful when you’re asleep,” he said, voice coarse. 

Krel leaned into his touch. “I’m just...tired,” he slurred. 

Douxie nodded. “You can sleep more if you want to.”

“No,” he said. He reluctantly pulled the covers off of himself. “No, it’s your turn.”

“Let’s eat first, okay?” 

Krel nodded. Douxie knew he didn’t really need to eat - but it was a good habit. They needed something to ground themselves. 

They lifted each other out of bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updating this comp, wahoo!


End file.
